How I Became a Driving School Instructor

Some professions require extra patience than others. Nurses and educators for example. After being into the profession of a Driving Instructor for over 40 years, I’ve often being asked many a time, how I ended up instructing driving of all things.

I wish to iterate that I possess a first job. Being a driving instructor was my, as you might call it my “part time” or a hobby as some might name it.

My parents and grandparents used to advise me to be hard working, not to be lazy. When others of my friends and colleagues were giving home tuition, selling things as salesmen and what not, I decided to become a Driving Instructor instead. And why not. It is a honest way of securing some money during our spare time.

As I think back or reflect as you might say, it must be said becoming an instructor was a “by-chance” incident. Or was it, as I contemplate upon it, something which I had to do.

Firstly, my actions during my younger days had landed me financially unstable. Numerous courts proceedings , “Ah Longs” (gangster) and debtors were hounding me daily. I wrote about it in Never a Lender Nor Borrower Be post. Insufficient monthly income from my first profession totaled a mere RM300 to RM400, led to my choosing the profession of a driving instructor as a source of supplementing my income.

To become an instructor, you should posses a few necessary qualities. Among them – patience, being able to withstand hard work and the hot Malaysian sun are a few. Besides these, one has to have quick reflexes and ever observant at all times.

In the early 1970s, I had a few kampung friends who had permits to run a driving school business. These friends know my financial situation. They playfully suggested I become a Driving Instructor to supplement my income.

One thing led to another. From being a part time basis, my venture bloomed from having a few clients initially to eventually a full time one. Today, as I look back over the years, instructing driving to potential drivers has helped me to lighten my financial burden.

My decision to venture into this field has not been vain. Thinking back, as I ponder over the hundreds or even thousands of drivers who underwent driving lessons under my tutelage, a sensation of pride and satisfaction overwhelms me.

My decision to become a Driving Instructor has not been without its ups and downs. But the number of courses, seminars I had to attended over the 30 years period; not forgetting the aspect of securing the necessary certificates needed to become not only a professional Driving Instructor, but also a lecturer to conduct the 5 hours K.P.P course and be a Q.T.I (pre-test) institute internal examiner which I am today, have not been futile.

It is imperative I mention also other factors which led to my becoming an instructor. As mentioned earlier, patience and understanding of a fellow citizen/person’s feeling also plays a part.

My training in my first profession on “psychology” also goes a long way in my choice too. As an instructor, you have to understand the fears a learner faces the first time you bring him to a traffic infested road.

You have to, like a psychologist calm him or her down a certain situations. Being capable to provide confident and reassurance at such times is a bonus. This ability s what in my opinion, I have over other instructors.

The hard work I have put into this “part time” hobby have not been in vain. As the saying goes “It is not the financial aspect that counts, but the satisfaction of seeing a driver in the next car whizzing by and yelling to me, Cikgu, ada baikkah? (Sir, how are you?)”. Words cannot express the sensation in me. You have to be an instructor to know how I feel.

‘SincerelyCikgu Yap

Message from My Son

This blog was created because I believe my father has a lot experience in the area of teaching people how to drive. My father has been a driving instructor for as long as I can remember.

All of us went through this brief period in our lives. We reached an age when we are legally allowed to drive a vehicle (either motorcycle or car).

When a person wants to learn how to drive, where does he or she go to get the information. There are some relevant content on the web, but most are scattered and incomplete.

The goal of this blog is to compile my father’s years of experience in the driving school industry into one location so everyone can have access to it.

My father is the old school type. All of the articles are hand written on pieces of paper and I will type it in this blog. Sometimes there are typos in the posts, which are mine and I do apologize in advance.

If you like the information on this blog, feel free to leave a comment or two. If you have any question regarding learning how to drive, you can also leave your question in the Comment Sections and I will pass the message to my father.